Botanique
Hotel & Spa, located in the spectacular Mantiqueira mountain
range near Campos do Jordão, has raised the bar for luxury
hospitality in Brazil and beyond since it launched in November 2012.
Developed
by Brazilian entrepreneurs Ricardo and Fernanda Semler along with
owner of Twin Farms Hotel David Cole and The Body Shop co-founder
Gordon Roddick, the visionary project seamlessly blends Brazil’s
topography, modernity and native customs with an über-luxurious
hotel offering. Nowhere is this better exemplified than at the
property’s groundbreaking spa, where a resolutely Brazilian
approach to wellbeing - with a scientific twist - is put into
practice.
Botanique
Spa is the world’s first all-Brazilian spa and covers a staggering
10,000sq ft across two levels. A labour of love, the spa was designed
in collaboration with the innovative Sao Paulo architects Colletivo
de Arquitetos. The duo, who have achieved industry recognition for
their ambitious architectural projects, were commissioned to create a
spa that reflected Campos do Jordão’s history as a spiritual
destination in Brazil. Perched atop a rolling hillside, the spa is
decked throughout with the indigenous tropical hardwood itauba, and
offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape from floor to
ceiling windows. Inside the main building there are eight treatment
rooms - four for wet and four for dry treatments, a couple’s
treatment room, three relaxation suites, wet and dry saunas and an
indoor pool. In an adjoining building there is a doctor’s
consultation office and a deluxe gym while outside there is a fitness
pavilion and an isotonic pool, surrounded by a swimmable lake and a
resting area overlooking a forested valley.
The
impressive spa facilities house a range of treatments and products
that were developed from scratch with the support of local geologists
and science professors.
Signature
treatments embrace both ancient native Indian healing practices and
afro-Brazilian relaxation rituals and fuse them with the country’s
love of state-of-the-art beauty techniques. Music and water also play
a large role in the therapies on offer at
the spa.
Each
of the eight treatment suites offers clients a unique experience that
is in keeping with this culture. The wet treatment suites comprise of
a flotation pool, a Co2 bath, a milk bath and a thermal bath. The
Flotation Pool treatment integrates a pool with a cinema projection
system installed above
water level to project calming nature films onto the ceiling. The
imagery combined with the gentle sound of underwater music induces a
blissful sensory experience and prepares the newly relaxed muscles
for a more effective massage. The Co2 Bath - a variation of the
Nauheim bath – incorporates bicarbonate and a blend of
relaxing essential
oils that dissolve in the salt
bath to produce carbon dioxide, lowering
blood pressure and penetrating the epidermis for better absorption of
the oils.
The
Milk Bath is indulgent enough for Cleopatra herself with clients
benefiting from the rehydrating properties of 10 litres of
fresh organic
milk infused with freshly ground brazil
nut, coffee beans and ground bird seed. The Thermal 39° Bath
includes a composition of minerals; sodium and residual sulphur to
mimic the properties of local mineral fountains traditionally used as
thermal waters.
There
are also two customised saunas at Botanique Spa. The innovative
Rainforest Exposure integrates a humid 46° sauna with a soft ‘rain
shower’ experience. The client lies face down on a stone bed while
warm mineral water falls from the entire ceiling to refresh and
revitalise at two-minute intervals. The fragrance of the surrounding
Atlantic Rainforest is captured with an essential
oil blend handmade at the spa. The
Sauna For One follows on the Brazilian custom of eschewing collective
saunas for a liberating solo experience. Clients can take in the
wondrous valley view through a glass wall from a contemporary wooden
chaise longue.
The
isotonic pool is framed by glass to create the illusion of hanging
off the edge of the mountain ridge. The pool creates symmetry between
the client and the water with the pool maintained at 35°c body
temperature and containing the same mineral salts and elements found
in the human body. Water jets and a system with compressed air
generate bubbles to simulate the speed and movement of a heartbeat
for complete muscle
relaxation and a sense of tranquility. The
final effect is one where the client is no longer aware of the water
around them and feels at one with their environment. The hard part is
getting out of the pool!
The
remaining four treatment rooms are for dry treatments, which include
massages and thermal facials such as Fango therapy. On arriving at
the spa, guests work with therapists to choose from 28
local essential oils to be used in a bespoke treatment.
Each massage starts with a Lirios do Campo foot soaking and foot
massage and is finished with local
mineral-rich clay to leave the skin cleansed and invigorated.
Customised
journeys in the spa can last between 3 to 5 hours and are always
tailored to the client’s individual needs.
The
exclusive spa
product range consists of ten organically
formulated products, which are available to buy at the Botanique
shop. The signature Botanique scent is used throughout the line and
has been developed according to the principles of aromachology. The
scent encapsulates the surrounding environment with citrus top notes
of lemon; bergamot and verbena, blended with orange blossom, jasmine
and lavender for their warming and comforting properties. Base notes
of vertiver and cedar instill peace and a sense of renewal.
Botanique
Spa also boasts a highly qualified team of therapists,
physiotherapists and doctors. The lead doctor worked with the
Brazilian football team for over 25 years and is now Head of
Physiology at Brazil's foremost medical school. Clients staying at
Botanique for a week or more will receive a personal DNA study ahead
of their arrival at the hotel so that the spa team is better equipped
to prepare personalized exercise and spa programmes. For more
informationwww.botanique.com.br
